Hold on Tight
by PaulGeorge
Summary: After Jinora gets back to the Northern Air Temple from a late night where she snuck out to hang with Skoochy in Republic City, she worries that her absence had been noticed. One-shot


A/N: On the show, especially in early season 2, we saw that the air babies get on each others nerves. Even though Jinora and Ikki are opposites, they care for each other deeply. I got this idea of Ikki being sad that Jinora hasn't been spending time with her from Snows Of Yester-Year "Don't Forget To Breathe"

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After gliding through the night sky for hours, she finally saw it. The lights glowing through the hallways between the white stone pillars of the Northern Air Temple contrasted the most with the darkened sky. She was finally home. Or at least her home away from Republic City. As the beams of light from the rising Sun slowly started to peak out from the horizon, they cast shadows among the clouds. Jinora wondered if she could make it without being caught. "Pshh, of course I can" she gloated in her thoughts to ease her worries. She was practically a master airbender after all. Albeit, a very tired one. She dipped through the clouds, the cool moistness waking her up as she prepared to land.

As she came in for landing, she jumped off her glider and air bended her way to the ground, careful to be quiet and not wake anyone. Jinora slowly crept through the hallways, taking a left, then a right, while occasionally floating behind statues to avoid acolytes as they started their early routines, until finally arriving at her room. Before ducking in she quickly peered around to see if she had been spotted. Fortunately, it appeared as if nothing was out of place. She dropped down on to her bed, resembling more like how an earthbender's strengthened body would, rather than the graceful airbender that she was.

Jinora jumped up as she heard a knock at her door. Her body ached. She was 19 years old, still living at the temple, not yet started living out in the world... as much as her parents knew anyway, she thought to herself. However, she still didn't want to face a stern lecture from her father about the dangers of her actions or the importance of her responsibilities. The door slowly opened and Ikki's head peaked through. Ikki smiled upon seeing Jinora, perhaps because of the possibility of ratting her out or maybe... Jinora didn't care. She was far too tired, and relaxed her body, wanting to rest from her adventurous night with Skoochy in Republic City.

"Hey," Ikki shyly said. "How's it going?"

"Fine," Jinora replied trying to act like she was just waking up.

"How's Skoochy?" Ikki's face grew into a grin. The kind of smile that Jinora should dislike, as nosy as her sister can be, but she loved it. She loved her sister's bubbly personality, her ever-radiating joy and her boundless energy. Ikki's smile was one of her favorite things in the world. Even though she was caught red-handed, after seeing her sister's smile coupled with her teasing Jinora felt a little more at ease, despite still being unsure of who else noticed her absence was last night.

Jinora's face slightly reddened. "Do you think Dad's noticed yet?"

Ikki let out a chuckle and mocked her father's stern voice, "Now Jinora, your studies are of utmost importance." "I don't know what you think your doing with that riff raff in Republic City, but you are grounded!"

Jinora felt a wave of calmness come over her. She was used to meditating when she had problems , but getting into trouble is a very new problem that she has found herself in during these past couple of years.

Ikki came over to lay beside Jinora on her bed, while Jinora moved over to make space. The two airbenders lied on the bed for a few minutes relaxing without saying anything to each other.

"But seriously Jinora, how's Skoochy?" Ikki asked with her high pitched voice, breaking the calmness.

"He might get a job in the Fire Nation soon," Jinora sighed.

Ikki frowned. She disliked the possibility that Jinora was unhappy, but deep down she feared that Jinora would follow him too. She knew Jinora, like her always wanted to travel to the Fire Nation, and really the whole world anyways. Between training rigorously for her master airbender tattoos and visiting Skoochy in Republic City, their time together was diminishing.

"Are you going with him?" Ikki asked.

Jinora turned from looking up at her rather bland ceiling to face her sister. "Maybe. I don't know how Dad and Mom will feel about it, especially since my training isn't finished. I've worked so hard, it means so much for our culture, for Dad. For myself. I know it won't be much longer until I've finished."

Jinora could notice that Ikki was gloomy about this situation and the fact that, even as Jinora has grown more rebellious, she and Ikki haven't spent as much time together as they should have in the past few years. Jinora gently put her hand on Ikki's head. Perhaps it _was_ best to stay at the temple with her family. Ikki was still growing up and she could fly Oogi out to the Fire Nation to see Skoochy, perhaps even having her sister tag along.

After thinking about it, Jinora told Ikki "I don't think I'll move to the Fire Nation. Skoochy will understand. I can always fly out to see Skoochy, but I feel I've been neglecting you and our family, the one's that matter most to me."

Ikki tried to hide the fact that her eyes moistened. As the corner of her lips moved towards her ears, she gave her sister a tight hug. Jinora closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around Ikki.


End file.
